Decorative tile with graphic design pattern hollow

ABSTRACT

Decorative design hollows in tiles composed of two affixed layers, a faceplate with a graphic design pattern hallow and solid backing plate. Layers are assembled with adhesive flexible to minimize stress due to substrate flex and temperature changes. Added bonding strength is provided by the mounting cement flowing through chamfered holes in backing plate creating a dove tail type bond. Hollow is filled upon tile installation with grout of similar color as abutting tiles or a contrasting colored grout for unique effects giving the end user unlimited graphic design and color scheme opportunities. The decorative tile is installed using common practice techniques as used with abutting non-decorative design tiles, i.e. cement and grout.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention pertains to tile designs in general, and more particularly to a method of utilizing a tile with a graphic design pattern hollow to be grout filled as an integral component of said design. Tiles have been used to produce graphic designs and art forms for long periods of time. Mosaic designs are made from a collection of stones and tiles laid out into a graphic pattern and held together by means of cement and grout. Steel tiles are normally of an embossed design repeated across the tile face or an embossed design embedded into a solid thin steel sheet which is then adhered to a backing plate. Tiles of these design are manufactured by mass production techniques so that they may be purchased inexpensively for everyday use. Tiles of these design are initially positioned into a wet cement or grout. After placement additional cement or grout is then placed over the entire tile surface and forced into the open areas and spaces of said abutting tiles. The surface is then wiped and excess cement and grout removed from the tile front surfaces allowing the tile face to extend beyond the cement or grout coating, leaving the remaining cement or grout to secure the entire tile in place. The grout material being used to facilitate holding tiles permanently in place. Current tiles commercially available to the end user have limited said end users to designs set forth by various tile manufacturers who have created embossing and cast mold tools to reduce production costs. Grout used for tile installations, while now available in a variety of colors is used only to fill abutting spaces between the tiles in the installation and finishing processes. Thus the individual stones and individual tile pieces create the graphic design. Graphic designs of these type require additional skills for installation and the use of complicated patterns for the multi-piece construction of such. Users are limited to commercially available stone sizes and colors or have must incur additional expense to have special sizes cut. Intricate designs with fine detail are not easily achieved as the stones and tiles can not be readily formed to match such intricate shapes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In accordance with the invention, a tile with a graphic design pattern hollow(s) cutout whereby the graphic design hollow(s) is filled with grout and the grout becomes a substantial component of the graphic design. The graphic design pattern being a single or plurality of hollows cutout of the tile allowing the tile to remain intact as a single structure.

[0005] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are;

[0006] a) use of unlimited designs from simple shapes to the most intricate including old and new art from a variety of sources readily available to the public including but not limited to; clip art, photographs, sketches and the like,

[0007] b) use of many off the shelf colored grout materials allowing for color matching and contrasting, with both the setting decor and surrounding grout material used for non-decorative tile installations,

[0008] c) intricate graphic designs in a single piece tile allowing the most novice tile setter and do it yourself home owner the opportunity to incorporate unique designs into any tile installation with the end result looking completely professional,

[0009] d) sizes and shapes are limited only by the designers imagination as the manufacturing process, laser cutting and water jet cutting are capable of the most intricate of designs and are not limited to predetermined sizes or shapes and require no expensive hard tooling to be cost effective to the consumer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a drawing 8 sample for demonstration purposes of this invention showing a star shaped graphic design pattern 9.

[0011]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tile faceplate 10, a plurality of graphic design hollows 12 and a tile face plate thickness 11.

[0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tile backing plate 14, a plurality of chamfered holes 16 and a tile backing plate thickness 15.

[0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled decorative tile 20, tile faceplate 10 affixed to backing plate 14, a plurality of hollow floors 18 and assembled decorative tile thickness 21.

[0014]FIG. 5 is a side view of the tile faceplate 10 and plurality of affixed studs 30.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The process for manufacturing a decorative tile in accordance with the invention starts with the selection of a design to be produced within the decorative tile piece. This design can be a pre-existing design in any form, i.e. drawing, clip art, photograph or newly created design. Such as drawing 8 of a star graphic design pattern 9 illustrated in FIG. 1. The design, pre-existing or new can be scaled to any size however practical purposes of common tiles are in the 4″ square through 12″ square range being the most common. Decorative tile shapes can be of any outside configuration, however square tends to be the norm. The main embodiment of my invention is a tile faceplate 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2. Upon selecting said star graphic design pattern 9, a computer generated path program for laser or water jet cutting is completed creating a single or plurality of hollows 12 which are checked to be certain that all said hollows 12 are nested within said tile faceplate 10 perimeter and that all said hollows 12, when removed from tile faceplate 10 leave the tile faceplate 10 intact as a single structure. A tile faceplate thickness 11 is to be of sufficient thickness to ensure an ample surface for bonding of grout when so filled at time of installation. Tile faceplate 10 is to be of sufficient strength to remain structurally rigid following the removal of hollows 12. The tile faceplate 10 substrate must be compatible with tile setting cements and must be adaptable to tile installation environments including wet areas such as kitchen and bathroom applications. Such substrates would include but not be limited to; ceramic and porcelain tiles and stainless steel sheet of sufficient rust resistance performance as deemed necessary for each particular installation.

[0016] Another embodiment of my invention is to affix a backing plate 14 as shown in FIG. 3 to the faceplate 10 as shown in FIG. 4. Said backing plate 14 contains a plurality of chamfered holes 16 to allow mounting cement to fill the holes 16 and provide a dove tail like bond to the bonding material through each filled hole 16. Said backing plate offers other advantages for ease of installation for the novice as well as the professional tile setter. The backing plate 14 is affixed to the faceplate 10 using an adhesive flexible enough to allow for a difference in the coefficients of contraction and expansion between the two mating substrates. This will lessen the chance of loosening following final installation. The backing plate 14 thickness 15 is to be of sufficient thickness 15 that a combination of the backing plate 14 thickness 15 and tile faceplate 10 thickness 11 equals an assembled tile 20 thickness 21 as shown in FIG. 4 as closely as possible to the tile thickness of other tiles used in the tile installation, be they decorative tiles or non. Another feature of backing plate 14 is when affixed to tile faceplate 10, as shown in FIG. 4, the backing plate 14 creates a uniform floor(s) 18 to each hollow(s) 12 of the tile faceplate 10. Said floor(s) 18 enable a much easier application of the fill grout material during the installation process. This is the preferred method of installation and the easiest to perform.

[0017] Another embodiment of my invention is to weld a plurality of studs 30 onto the back of the tile face plate 10 as shown in FIG. 5. This alternative method is normally in lieu of using backing plate 14 but could be combined with the backing plate 14 at an additional cost which may not be appropriate for common uses. Said studs 30 are of sufficient length that when combined with faceplate 10 thickness 11 the total length equals as closely as possible the tile thickness of other tiles used within the tile installation be they decorative tiles or non. Studs 30 are welded onto steel substrates and glued with appropriate adhesive to non-steel substrates. 

1. Decorative tile with graphic design pattern hollow comprising: a) a graphic design pattern, and b) a graphic design pattern hollow within the faceplate perimeter, c) whereby the graphic design hollow may be filled with grout and become a substantial component of the graphic design, and d) a backing plate affixed to faceplate, or e) mounted studs affixed to faceplate. 